The entrance to the US Embassy in Nairobi.
This week, the Foreign Ministers from across the Commonwealth are attending a meeting at the Lancaster House in London, seeking to discuss reform and the relevance of the 56-member bloc that is sometimes known as the ‘Club.’
Though composed of mainly the UK and its former colonies (Rwanda, Mozambique, Gabon and Togo are exemptions), the bloc often prides itself with calling its diplomats differently.
High Commissions, Embassies
For example, you may hear some diplomats call themselves ‘High commissioners’ heading ‘high commissions.’ The difference lies in where they are posted, and by whom. When a diplomat is posted by one Commonwealth member to head a mission in another, they are high commissioners. When those very diplomats are posted to countries that are outside the Commonwealth, they are just ambassadors heading embassies.
The difference lies in the jurisdiction even though by their very nature, those diplomats can routinely use the title ‘ambassador’ before their names, carrying out similar duties or representing their countries in foreign lands.
Ambassadors, Special envoys
Away from Commonwealth pride, most diplomatic titles and ranks are standardised under Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961).
In many countries such as Kenya, however, one doesn’t need to be posted abroad to carry ‘ambassador’ before their names.
Essentially, the diplomatic practice has evolved to consider this a rank of service, meaning that certain senior officials at the ministry of foreign and diaspora affairs, for instance, who have served for a period of time in areas of sensitive diplomatic responsibility, including as heads of departments or deputy heads of missions, earn the the title.
There are instances where some officials appointed by the President for a particular role abroad, say marketing tourism, sport or technology or mediation, can also use the title of ‘ambassador’ because they become special envoys delivering specified messages for the President. These may not normally be career diplomats but carry a specific assignment that involves management of relations.
Agrément
Ambassadors posted abroad don’t just pack their bags and fly out. In Kenya, one may need to be vetted by the National Assembly. But long before the candidate is ready to go, Kenya must first officially request for permission from the receiving state. Once that State accepts the new appointee, it normally issues an approval letter, which in diplomatic parlance is known as Agrément.
The word has an origin in French, traditionally considered the pioneers of organised diplomacy. There are instances when Kenya’s appointed diplomats were rejected by receiving states who refused to issue the Agrément, forcing Nairobi to replace them. But that is a story for another day. Overall, this document denotes respect for sovereignty and that countries appoint diplomats that enhance relations, not damage them.
Note verbale
Sometimes you hear government officials referring to ‘diplomatic channels’ when controversy emerges between two countries, for example. Those channels may include a formal letter officially known as note verbale, another term borrowed from the French. It is a formal written piece of communication between the Foreign Ministry and a diplomatic mission or an office of an international organisation like the UN. These are letters, yes, but are written in a somewhat informal format and are not signed. They, however, carry the official stamp of the sending office.
They often bear the boring opening line, such as “The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs presents its compliments to the High Commission of…” They then quickly jump onto the purpose of the letter, before concluding with assurances. However, they are normally polite letters.
Minister-Counsellor
Sometimes diplomatic titles may be confusing. Take the example of minister-counsellor. They are neither ministers nor counsellors. They are officials holding a senior diplomatic rank, usually just below Ambassador or deputy heads of missions. They work like departmental heads on missions, saying political, economic or cultural affairs. They generally also carry titles of ambassadors before their names but actually work as aids of the head of the mission.
Trivia: Diplomats often work with polite language even when protesting. However, once in a while, you could get hints of boiling points between them. For example, when your Cabinet Secretary says, “We had honest and frank discussions,” it could often refer a serious exchange of words, just short of trading blows.
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